A Radiological Evaluation of Using NORM Residue in Building Materials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15392/2319-0612.2025.2880Palabras clave:
Re-use of NORM residue, Building Materials, Sustainability, Circular economyResumen
The sulphate route for titanium dioxide production in Brazil yields 30,000 tons of annual residue, currently disposed of in industrial landfills. This long-term storage incurs significant maintenance and safety costs, alongside environmental impacts. This residue is enriched in the natural radionuclides of the uranium and thorium series and is classified as a NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) residue. To minimize the environmental impact of such waste disposal, it is necessary to offer alternatives for its safe reuse, in line with the principles of sustainability. This paper evaluates the radiological exposure associated with incorporating this residue into interlocking and cement blocks. An experimental house was constructed with cement block walls and interlocking block flooring, and internal gamma exposure and radon concentration were measured. Results indicate that incorporating up to 23% of the residue does not elevate indoor radon concentration above the international limit of 200 Bq.m-3 and keeps external gamma exposure below 1 mSv.
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Derechos de autor 2025 Barbara Paci Mazzilli, Fernanda Yuri Muta, Lara Vitória Santos Couto, Antonio Luis Silva Costa, Vilmar Pedreira Oliveira, André Luiz Batista Cabral
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.
Licencia: los artículos de BJRS tienen una licencia internacional Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, que permite el uso, el intercambio, la adaptación, la distribución y la reproducción en cualquier medio o formato, siempre que se otorgue el crédito correspondiente al autor o autores originales y a la fuente, proporcione un enlace a la licencia Creative Commons e indique si se realizaron cambios. Las imágenes u otros materiales de terceros en el artículo están incluidos en la licencia Creative Commons del artículo, a menos que se indique lo contrario en una línea de crédito al material. Si el material no está incluido en la licencia Creative Commons del artículo y su uso previsto no está permitido por la regulación legal o excede el uso permitido, el autor deberá obtener el permiso directamente del titular de los derechos de autor. Para ver una copia de esta licencia, visite http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
